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good game for young and old

They say, don't they, that you shouldn't get a dog for Christmas, but when said dog is a virtual one for the ds platform, I think an exception can be made! We bought this particular Nintendogs, the dalmatian version, simply because at the time it was the cheapest one on sale - you can buy the game featuring various dogs on the front cover, but in actual fact the game play is the same in each game, and whatever your version, be it dalmation or golden retriever. You can own different dogs at different times as you progress through the game, taking charge of up to 3 at any one time. In our house we are currently the proud owners of 2 lively beagles and a retriever.

This isn't the newest of nintendo games, being in its fifth year which is a long time in gaming. It will, I am sure be outclassed when a version is realeased in the new 3D format, but that said for now for any ds owner and, I would say as a 7 year old and up's first game, Nintendogs is still a good choice and very playable with quite good longevity and interest, and for now the graphics and gameplay aren't seeming very dated at all.

Play is through the stylus which you use to interact with your puppy, brushing their hair, washing them, and teaching them tricks. You can also throw toys, such as a frisbee and take your puppy for a walk to various destinations. Play is by yourself or, should you have a friend with a ds, you can connect in bark mode and exchange gifts and play together - we haven't tested this mode but we have played extensively with the game and got a good feel for it. My child can play with it by herself now, but needed some help getting to know how to work all the different features, though even a very young child can pick up the ds and probably work out how to pet, feed and walk the dog it takes some further skill to work out how to save up and spend virtual money (in £ and not dollars, thank you game developers!) and to learn how to take part and be successful in contests.

When you first start the game you can chose a puppy - I would advise some adult input in this as they all have different characters, which are described at point of handover. I didn't supervise the start and so, as it turned out, our first puppy was cute but a bit of a slow learner, this made for a slow and frustrating start to the game, it's been much easier to teach subsequent puppies their name and basic commands such as "sit" and "roll". Training is done via the microphone and stylus, a puppy needs to hear the same command in the same way to "learn" how to do any task, there are manuals as part of the items you have in your inventory that explain in simple English and with illustrations how to train and look after your puppy. We did find that it can be quite annoying that a puppy doesn't learn "sit" when you think you have said it the same way 15 times, as I said some learn quicker than others but it's also a question of keeping your intonation and pronunciation consistent, something that isn't necessarily intuitive to a child.

That said, in the main, the menus are pretty clear and easy for even the very youngest to follow and many of the actions you can do are intuitive, such as throwing a frisbee and shampooing your dog. The dog is interacted with on the bottom screen and will run up to the front of the screen to be stroked and, eventually, answer to his name. As you play, one criticism I do have is that the puppy doesn't really get much older over time - I can see how this avoids the issue of mortality but it's not very realistic, rather than ageing your puppy just gets able to go on longer walks and learns more.

I thought the process of having money and spending it on food and the like was actually a good learning point of this game as far as a child is concerned. If a child wants to save up for more dogs they will have to persist in taking part in contests or "sell" items that they acquire - on walks your puppy may find stray items or gifts, as well as stopping for his toilet needs, and some of these items can be sold for quite a lot of money. Your puppy can be dressed in different accessories, hats, collars and bows - these are all quite cutesy but add a fun element to the game. Taking part in contests, which are in the form of frisbee, agility and obedience also earns you trophees and money - we have been quite successful in some of the contests which get progressively harder in different classes, but have struggled with the obedience one as we don't seem to be able to get "Daisy" our rather intellectually challenged dalmation to shake hands at the right time or sit for long enough. The contests could do without having a rather long custscene at the start and cheesy commentary in graphic form, but bar this work well.

The game has had quite a lot of interest and longevity and we have both enjoyed playing it together. The music that accompanies walks is a little bit plinky plonky, but mainly the game is quite refreshingly quiet, just punctuated by a bark or too and the sound of us saying "lie down" rather assertively. The level of challenge has been spot on for a younger player and the game has kept her interest over time and, I think, encouraged her to think about budgeting and, to a degree encouraged some reading - this isn't an educational game by any stretch of the imagination but, as a virtual pet game it does have surprising breadth and depth and fosters some sort of idea of responsibilty. Though your puppy won't expire if you don't play with him for a week or two, when you are in game play you do need to think about keeping him or her clean, fed and watered, and as you acquire more dogs upkeep gets quite high maintenance - though you can always send one or more dogs to the "dog hotel" or donate them (eek!) if it all gets too much. The puppies will interact and play with each other and do all seem to be quite varied in character and ability.

Overall, this game is a winner, it seems to have been instantly liked by any child that has played with her console, and I think, as an adult, that it is fairly engaging too. I can see why this is a popular game and, though it is a few years since it was released, I still think it is a useful addition to the game library of any young ds owner. Recommended, it may be fairly expensive - you will struggle to pick up a nintendogs game in any version for under £20, but it's a good game and worth it in my opinon as it's varied, interesting, has good graphics on the scale of ds games, but more to the point it's not a five minute wonder but a game that can be enjoyed for a long time - and that's what makes it worthwhile.

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- its not just for children-

Okay, so I may be a grown woman but I couldn't help but fall in love with this game. When I was heavily pregnant my partner bought this game along with a Nintendo DS to keep me occupied. Now I don't know if this was because he was sick of me waddling around the house moaning, or because he actually cared and just wanted to buy me a lovely gift, Either way, I really didn't mind, it did the trick and my last month of pregnancy was spent glued to this game, only moving to take very frequent toilet breaks!

So the game is presented in a normal DS game box, with a big picture of the most cutest Dalmatian on the fount. Inside there is an instruction manual and a health and safety precautions booklet. I have never had to look at either of these as the game is pretty straight forward.

So the game in general is like a better and more advanced (way more advanced) version of the tamigotchi. You buy dogs and then you feed them look after them etc.

Buying the dogs **************

There are a range of different dogs that you can buy to start off with, but as you advance through the game more dogs become available. The dogs available: Dalmatian, Boxer, German shepherd, Golden Retriever, Yorkshire terrier and beagle. There are different types of dog that are of the same bread for example, you can get male or female, and dogs with different personalities and behavioural traits. You can have 4 dogs at one time in your house, but then as you advance through the game a dog hotel becomes available where you can house more dogs, I will talk about this in a little more detail later on in the review.

Houses*******

You start off with a simple house but you can buy new houses throughout the game. The houses are very expensive so you have to earn a lot of money before you can purchase the good ones.

Dogs*****

You can name the dogs whatever you like and then you call their individual names through the microphone then they come to you. They like to be stroked and played with. They all have their own little profile which show how much individual time you have spent with them, if they are dirty or clean, if they are hungry or thirsty and the last things they have eaten. When the dogs get dirty they need bathing or they can run away from home, this can also happen if they are not being fed enough or if they are not get any attention. They are very high maintenance dogs and require you to tend to them at least once a day.

Tricks******

Each dog can perform lots of tricks, there is not really a guide to this so you can teach them whatever you like, I have taught my dog's lots of tricks such as to dance and perform handstands. They also do the simple tricks such as sit, roll over etc. These are all voice activated , so you may look like a bit of a wolly shouting at a pretend dog to sit, but hey, that's all part of the fun!

Supply's ********

There is a section for all of the supply's you pick up, such as food, toys, musical items etc. Supply's can be picked up at the local pet store, or they could be objects that your dog has picked up on a walk.

Shopping*********

There are several different shops where you can but new dogs, sell unwanted supplies, pick up new supplies, buy new homes and then there is also the dog hotel. Now this doesn't come on immediately, it has to be unlocked, but basically it allows you to by more dogs and keep them her where they will be looked after and fed etc. I found it really handy to be able to spend 1 to 1 time with the dogs to teach them new tricks.

Walks******

The dogs need taking on walks so that they can do there business and what not. You can also go to the pet supply shop on walks where lots of different items can be picked up. There are also 2 parks to go to as well, where your dogs can meet other dogs as well as to practice for disk competitions. As well as this there is a gym where dogs can practice for the agility trial.

Whilst on walks your dogs can pick up little presents of the path, these are mostly novelty items such as hats, collars, dressing up kits, which are all worn by the dogs.

Contests********

There are 3 different contests to enter, these all pay money for winners and award trophies. They also move up in difficulty once you have completed one.

Disk competition**************

Basically you throw a disk for the dog and he has to fetch it. The further away he can catch it the more point's you get. Sounds easy? No it really isn't, i had lots of difficulty with this no matter how much we practiced I could not get him to catch it from a far enough distance to achieve a gold medal, but hay, who said it was going to be easy.

Agility trial. **********

This one sees the dogs taking an obstacle course you have to practice and practice until the dogs are used to going through all of the equipment by themselves and then you have to guide them, on the big day. The obstacle course has different numbers and you have to guide the dog in the correct sequence as fast as possible to have a chance at winning. Again this sounds easy, but really it isn't.

Obedience trial**************

Now this one is my favourite! All those hours spent teaching your dog tricks comes to use, but I mean you have to practice, a lot. The words come up on the screen and you have to tell the dogs what to do, you then get some free time so that's when the great moves such as hand stands come in handy. Some dogs can become shy though and do nothing, even if you have spent ages' practicing, that's why you should choose your dogs personality carefully. Saying that if a dog is not so good in one area they usually make up for it in another.

Muti - player************

I have never actually used this so I don't know much about it, but basically I think you join DS's up with a friend and the dogs can play with each other. I really couldn't say what else it does, sorry.

My opinion**********

Ok, so I think my opinion is clear I love this game! There is so much to do; my review only gives a brief description to how good the game is. It's not just a pointless game there are things to work towards, trophies, new dog etc. The game can never end because you keep buying new dogs training them and then doing the competitions all over again. None of the dogs are the same they all act different and do different things, so it never feels repetitive.

The game is aged from 3 + but in my opinion I don't thing a 3 year old would be able to work this, my daughter certainly wouldn't. I think it is a game that is fun to all ages and can be enjoyed by everyone.

The only problem I have with it now, is that I don't have much time to play on it with having my daughter. I do try to spend some time on it occasionally but it can become a struggle.

I would definitely recommend this game, and if Dalmatian is not your favourite dog there are other games that come with different breeds of dogs, so there is one for everybody.

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A great game for the ds & dog lovers

My daughter has this game for her ds and we chose the one with the dalmation on the front with dalmations being her favourite breed.

Out of all her ds games she found this one of the most engaging and addictive. The graphics are really good making the puppies undeniably cute.You get to take them on walks and collect items which you can either use or sell, you can also go in for competitions - agility, disc throwing or obedience and win money. You then need this money to pay for dog food, water etc and for luxuries such as a differnet house background.

You start off with just one pup but can gradually build up by buying more when you have the money and when the kennel has new breeds.The maximum you can have in your house is 3 and after that you can keep up to another 5 in a hotel although the pup gives you sad little puppy eyes when you put them in there.

Once you meet your maximum number of pups you can not get anymore unless you sell your original ones something which I wish I would have known from the start. My daughter went out and bought her maximum before some of her more favourite breeds became available and now parting with her originals makes her too sad!

Six months on she is still playing the game but only to feed and water her pups each morning and evening, she does this as the game told her that if she left them for too long without caring for them they would start to run away. This is a thought that leaves my six year old heartbroken, they are her little puppies and to her they are real. I'm not sure at what point she will have to give this up, in her twenties when she has a dog of her own?

This has definitely taught her responsibility but I thik it has made it a bit too serious for her, maybe a bit of flexibility would be more appropriate for young children.

However I am still giving it 4 stars, the graphics and addictiveness are big on this game.

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a great game for younger children to early teens!

At first i thought this game only suited a younger audience, until i saw my 40 year old teacher playing on it in the coach to germany! When i bought this game it was my first one and i was so excited to play it. As an animal lover myself i couldnt wait to buy the game! It is a pretty basic game to play, but can get you hooked. I think the 3D graphics are great and really realistic.

Basically you purchase your first dog and make sure you keep it fed well, play games to keep it entertained and exercise it. You can teach it tricks by saying sit into the microphone and rewarding it with treats. Another great thing about the game is you can take it on walks to the park and play interactively with anyone else who has the game and trade items.

To earn money you train your puppy using the frisbee and taking them to the gym then you can enter them into competitions, such as agility, frisbee and one about performance of your dogs tricks. The third one is really difficult and you must make sure your dog is well groomed. After you win a competition you get higher in the ranks, if you puppy comes below third place they drop back down a rank. The higher the rank, the more money you get.

As you get more money you can get more dogs and different breeds. You can also buy different interiors for the background. You can keep up to three dogs on your screen and the rest of your dogs go in the kennel.

The disadvantages: You cant go on many walks a day and you can only enter three competitions a day for one dog. Also you can only have up to eight dogs, after that you have to sell them if you want another one. I think the game gets boring after a while so you cannot keep playing for ages. Although i guess this is a good thing if you have a child that you dont want to get addicted to games! :)

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A good simulation game where you can care for your own dogs

As part of the series, Nintendogs Dalmatian & Friends is a simulation game where you take care of dogs as pets, can teach them tricks and bring them up. This game is ideal for girls as it's very cute but it's also great fun for guys as well. It comes with the purple logo as opposed to the other versions, which signifies the Dalmatian version.

Along with the Dalmatian, there are other other breeds in the game such as the Golden Retriever, Beagle and Boxer. You can keep multiple dogs (up to 4) at the same time and they also interact with each other and may like or dislike each other. The aim of the game is to simply care for your dog and keep them happy, whilst earning medals in competitions, building up your stocks of care materials for your dog and also obtaining a large variety of toys to entertain your dog with.

The graphics are good and the game gives a real sense of authenticity. With the use of the touch screen, it really seems like you are stroking your dog as you brush the stylus up and down the screen. You can also use the microphone built into the DS to communicate with your pets, and teach them tricks. The voice recognition and technology with this game is superb. You can take your dog for walks, wash them and enter them in a variety of competitions, which include disc throwing, obedience tests and the assault course. You can train your dog for these by playing with the flying disc (frisbee), taking them to training places on walks for the assault course and teaching them tricks for the obedience practice.

On the walks, you will meet other dog-walkers and their owners. You can speak to them along with receiving presents, which your dog may also find on the street. You have to be careful not to let them eat rubbish on the streets however as this is bad for them. It's an excellent game, rather like a tamagotchi so it's pretty addictive but I did get bored of it after a while. You can get a copy for just £17.99 on amazon.co.uk.

Thanks for reading

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Now he can play like the big kids.

The Nintendo DS was originally mine, but then my child got hold of it. Most of the games in the under five age group were still too advanced for my little man to catch on to. He really wanted to play like his older cousins and was feeling very left out. I knew he loved dogs and dalmations are a favorite so I got this game and he loves it! I had to set it up with him and it took us an hour to get him to say the dogs name the same way three times but once that was all over he took over and knows exactly what to do. Not so sure a 3 year old could play it succesfully but my 5 year old was perfectly able to and I'm so pleased he gets to be one of the big kids now. Gives me a break as well as he'll happily entertain himself for a good hour at a time.

In the game you look after the puppy, teach him tricks, take him for walks, clean and play with him. There is also an area where you can enter the puppy in competitions and if you win then you have more money in the game ot spend on food, treats, dog houses and such.

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Helps children learn, money & work that involved in looking after an animal

Nintendogs - Dalmation. I love this game :) To start the game you get to choose from 6 different breeds : Dalmatian, Boxer, Labrador, Beagle, German shepherd and Yorkshire terrier. I decided on the Dalamation ( as I did have the Dalmation game after all) :)

The next stage is for the player to name their dog. This can be a bit difficult if in a noisy place as it is important that there is no background noise and the person uses the same tone of voice at all times. if not the dog will show a "?".

The game is great in allowing young children especially to see what it actually involves to look after a puppy. It's not all fun! You can interact with your puppy in a variety of ways, you can pet your puppy, throw toys for it, take it for walks (to the park, around the streets, at the gymnasium), enter competitions, feed and feed and groom your pet. If you take your dog out for a walk you have to ensure that its 'mess' is picked up or face a telling off.

There are only three places in your house for your dogs. This therefore means that if you (like me) want four dogs you have to put one of your dogs in the dog hotel and alternating them to ensure that you only have three at one time.

Overall a brilliant game. It costs on average £30. This obviously varies depending on where you buy this game from.

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Gorgeously cute game

The wife and I bought this at Xmas with our first DS, initially as we wanted brain training but as we also hanker after a Beagle, we decided to buy this fabulous little game. Let me tell you it is very cute, although not particularly challenging but you cannot help have a smiule brought to your face whilst playing it. You basically get the choice of 6 breeds of dog and you can actually take on up to 3 over the space of time. The controls are really easy to get a hold of and get cracking and this game will appeal to kids and the softies amongst us that's for sure. Whilst it will never replace the real thing, this is the closest you can get to and it beats a Tamagocchi no question. All in all, get this game if you just want a bit of light hearted fun and you wanted to be entertained by a cyber puppy who is actually surprisingly realistic in its mannerisms. All rather frightening.

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A must have game for anyone with a DS!

===What Is It?===Nintendogs is the first in one of the most popular DS games Nintendo has ever made. Released in 2005 it is still going very strongly, becoming one of Nintendo's most popular games. This is the Dalmation and Friends version which I am reviewing.

===Why Buy It?===I got this last Christmas Christmas, and I had been thinking of buying a Nintendogs game for a while. There were a couple of reasons to buy it. First if you have always wanted a dog and can't (like if you live in urban areas, or cannot give up the time needed to have a dog etc.) then this would be a really fun game to have. Second if you just like animals in general and want something fun to do in your spare time. And third if you want a game where a lot of DS players already have then great, this is one of the DS's most top selling games, even after two years of its release.

===What Is It Compatible With?===Nintendogs game is compatible with the Nintendo DS (Or DS Lite) which is a handheld games console with a revolutionary touch screen pad which makes it different. It will NOT work in another Nintendo product like the Gameboy or Wii. It will also not work on any other console so watch out for that.

===Age Range===I'm a little confused about the age range. The age range is so varied as it is really aimed for younger people, it would appeal to anyone. However what I noticed is that some parts are a little complex for say an 7 year old like where you are training your dog etc. But apart from that I would say the age range varies from young to adult. The box recommends over 3's.

===Cover===The covers matter when it comes to Nintendog games. I got the Dalmation one for christmas as I love dalmations. There are 4 covers to choose from. Each are offering slightly different game play and unlockable items and essentially different breeds of dogs. They are:*Labrador*Chihuahua (had to look in the dictionary for the spelling of that one!)*Dachshund*DalmatianNow if i'm honest unless your a bit picky it doesn't really matter which cover you choose (although I think the Dachshund is the cutest one) unless you want a certain breed of dog to play with. On the Dalmatian one you get:- Dalmatian- Beagle- Boxer- Golden Retriever- Yorkshire Terrier- German ShepardYou can get other breeds if you have a friend that has another Nintendogs game using 'Bark Mode' or you can unlock them but it will take a lot of dedicated playing to get the right amount trainer points. So unless you want a pacific dog breed to play with it really doesn't matter what cover you buy, they are all the same price and graphics etc.

===Scenario===When you begin the game you first get introduced to the game straight away, as you have to pick a puppy. Now you can pick a breed but you they only give you 3 puppies to choose from and they may all be male or female and they all have different personalities, so you cannot make your own dog from scratch which I think is good, as it makes the game more realistic in that way. So you have picked a puppy and you have to teach it its name by speaking into the microphone. So I called my first one 'Holly' as that is the name of my real dog anyway so i said Holly into the microphone. So every time I say 'Holly' into the microphone, Holly will run up to me. You have a house which you live in and you can change from 4 interiors later on in the game. You have a certain amount of money to start out with (I think around £1,500) but you have to spend money on water, food, accessories etc. So to earn money you have to enter your puppy in competitions like agility, obidence and disc catching so the better you get the more money you get and eventually you will be earning £1,000's! You can only do this however if you show your dog lots of love and take it training but don't over do it. You can go to the shops to buy collars, food, water, toys and even hats and bows! Depending on how much money you have and how much trainer points you can get different items from tennis balls to cameras, to balloons. You can even leave your dogs in the care of a dog hotel if you are a bit overwhelmed by them. But the main thing you do in the game is looking after your puppy. You do this by feeding, taking it for walks, showers, letting it interact with other dogs and basically giving it affection and giving it TLC. This game will carry on for ever if you want it to.

===Addictiveness/Fun===I got this game last Christmas and found it really fun to start with. I have now been playing with it for more than a year and it has lost its funness. At first it is very fun however after about a month the novelty of it starts to ware off and I play with it less and less. There does seem to be a limit of game play on this now as I have completed different levels. I do still got on it as it is a really good game, and I do end up feeling so guilty for leaving my little puppies to fend for themselves (which I think a lot of people will feel!) but it started to get boring.

===Does It Take Full Advantage Of The DS?===YES! A simple answer, it uses every feature the DS has to offer. The stylus is used brilliantly as you are able to play with your dog (like throwing a frizzbee) and able to stoke it and teach it to sit. You are able to hold the lead and give it biscuits. Almost everything you can do with this game is with the stylus which is brilliant, and allows it to make it that bit realer. The microphone is used really well as you can teach your dog its name, tell it to sit, lie down etc. And you can even blow up balloons and bubbles using the microphone which is really cool. The screen LCD lets you just watch your puppies and is a break from using the stylus.

===Graphics===Wow! DS games I find tend not to have the best graphics but I feel I was very wrong. I was very impressed by the detail for example of the dogs fur but the amount of detail in general. The backrounds are really good and clear. The dogs are very detailed and look really good and are not roughly done up. The graphics are very impressive for a DS game standards.

===Sound/Effects===Listening to your puppy bark is just heart warming! The sound effects are really impressive, again for DS standards. The puppies barking at each other and the sound effects of even the slightest things like throwing a ball can be heard brilliantly. It has a lot of back round music which is very clear and doesn't annoy you like it can sometimes do. Very impressed again by Nintendo's detail.

===Price===There is a general price of this game, which is around £24.99 from almost all good game retailers like HMV, Game and many other shops such as Tesco and Asda. I have seen it for around £29.99 which seems to be the maximum price. All of the other covers are around the same price as well. This is a good price but it is at the top end of DS games price wise. Have a look around and if you are purchasing a DS try and get nintendogs in a bundle.

===What's Right With It?===Well it is very unique, who would have thought that we could sit in the comfort of our living rooms, telling our own little virtual puppies to 'Sit' and 'Roll Over'. It is a very unique game and now there are a lot of copycat games out there that are cheaper but are they just as good? So it is a very original game with original ideas. Looking after very cute puppies and watching them grow into handsome dogs is just great! The amount of stuff you are able to do with them is great and for people who don't know how ot care for dogs, is a bit of an eye opener. The graphics and sound are fantastic and really add to the reality of the game. You notice that they never seem to make two dogs alike so your dog is pretty unique in the game. If you look closely at the dalmatians you'll notice that the spots are different to each dog, so each dog is pretty unique. It is fun and a real novelty to have. It is unique, long lasting and will entertain everyone!

===What's Wrong With It?===Sadly it does have one or two flaws. The main one is that the story line needs to be improved as once you have trained your dogs it can actually become a chore after a while. It can loose its fun factor in about a week or 2 and becomes boring once you have figured out everything. So you leave it for a couple of weeks but then you feel guilty because your dog is starving and has fleas (yes it's virtual but you do kind of get attached...) Also I admit it does leave you feeling a bit stupid, when your sitting in the living room declaring 'SIT!' Into a console and getting odd looks. But that isn't really a wrong thing but thought I should just add it.

ConclusionWhat a great game to have! Looking after your own puppy in the easiest way possible, in the virtual world so you can just put it in your pocket. If you are a parent getting nagged for a puppy then I think this might be your safest bet, it's cheaper, easier and less hastle and will have the children (and yourself) playing on it for hours. It is for everyone to play young or old and it will have you entertained for a while but it will loose its fun factor. I would recommend this to every DS user as it is the must have game, no matter what cover they have. Super cute game!

Copyright of Scotlandizdabest at Dooyoo.co.uk

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cute and addictive for adults and children!

Nintendogs is a game for the Nintendo DS which is a portable, handheld games console. The DS (or DS Lite which is the newest version) folds in half to make it compact and when opened it has two screens. The top screen is simply a screen, whereas the bottom screen is a touch screen where you can interact with it using your fingers or the pen stylus. There are a few buttons either side of the bottom screen although the main concept behind Nintendo is that you can interact with their products physically and intuitively therefore these buttons are rarely used with many games.

The game Nintendogs has been highly publicised on television adverts showing adults enjoying playing with cute puppy dogs!! The Nintendogs game is not actually mine, it was a Christmas present for my 9 year old brother who also got the Nintendo DS console for Christmas. However, since he has had it I have played on it at every opportunity!!

The game is similar to the old virtual pets that were popular when I was younger only more high-tech! The whole purpose of the game is to care for and look after a Puppy (or more than one if you wish!) and to train it to respond to you. The puppies will never grow older so they will always look cute. If you do not care for them properly they may run away.

Nintendogs comes in a few different versions with the only real variants being the breeds of dog available. This particular game is the Dalmation and friends game although there are a wide variety of breeds available on the game including a Shih Tzu, German Shepard, Labrador, Dalmatian etc. The game is generally on sale for £30 although there are some packages where you can get a slightly better deal.

In order to give a complete review of the game I will evaluate each key aspect.

==Kennels (buying a dog)==

At the kennels you can play with some of the dogs that are already there to experience the different breeds and you can then buy your own dog. Once you have chosen a name for your dog you need to say its name clearly into the microphone in the middle of the console. It asks you to repeat the name three times to ensure that the dog clearly knows its name. I found this easy with my dog as I chose a simple name which can always be said in the same tone (My German Shepard's name is Poop - yes I am very mature!) My brother however tried to call his dog Sammy and it struggled to recognise its name so he ended up calling it Oi!

The dog breeds that you can choose from initially are limited but as you progress in the game you will unlock more breeds to choose from. Dogs cost around £550 in the virtual Nintendog money and initially you will only be able to afford one but as you earn more money you can buy as many as you want.

You can only keep up to three dogs in your house so any more that you buy will have to go into the dog hotel. The Kennels tell you a little bit about the characteristics of each breed which as far as I am aware is pretty accurate. When you select the breed you want you can choose between three puppies - it shows their gender but sometimes there can only be puppies of one gender available.

==Care==The leaflet that comes with the game emphasises that the game does not portray the real level and type of care required to own a real dog and should be treated as nothing more than a game! Having said that the game does require you to provide food and water for your puppies which you have to purchase. You can monitor how hungry, thirsty etc your puppies are and if you do not keep on top of this they may run away! Your puppy requires grooming and cleaning which can be done by purchasing items such as a brush and shampoo from the shop. This aspect of the game is quite good and particularly for children it makes them think - for example - long haired puppies require one type of brush whereas shorthaired puppies need another. There are also books which on how to care for your puppy which can be read on the Nintendo screen. Caring for the puppy is strangely addictive and there are a variety of options here so it is quite entertaining.

An important part of caring for your puppy is also playing with them. There are a lot of options here and I think this is a key feature of the game which makes it more interesting than typical "virtual pets". There are various chew toys you can give to your dog and other toys and items that you can throw for them to catch (both in your house or at the park!). There are always new items to be discovered which can be toys for your puppies - one that I was impressed by today is a bubble maker. On the lower screen you see one of those stick things that you get in a bottle of bubbles and by blowing at the microphone it blows bubbles for your puppies to play with. Its so clever how it works and you can blow them in all sorts of ways, with it all seeming very realistic!

==Training==Training is another key part of the game and Nintendo have made sure it is an incredibly interactive process. There are books in your supplies section of the game which tell you how to train your puppy and the process involves you using the stylus to encourage the puppy to do something (such as give paw) then you give the voice command. After a few attempts the puppy will eventually associate the voice command with that particular trick. This can be a little frustrating as if you struggle to say the words in the same tone each time then it may not recognise it well, although saying that I have been impressed with how successful it is.

One trained these commands can be used in the obedience contests and can be used to earn your some money! The training is fun although as it involves using voice commands I must say that as an adult I have had some funny looks coming my way as I sat staring at the screen repeating "roll over"!!! It also means that its not something you can just sit down and do whilst other people are watching television as they will get annoyed with you talking. I also found that as I was giving the commands to the game, my poor (real) dog was running round like a madthing trying to desperately meet all of the commands that I was suddenly saying!

==Contests==There are three contests that you can enter with your puppy to try and win some money and trophies. These are the disc throwing contest which involves you throwing a frizbee type thing for your puppy to catch, this is strangely addictive and you can take your puppy to the park for some practise. The second is an agility contest where you need to guide your puppy over and through obstacles, you can also practise this one at the gymnasium although I do find that this one gets boring quite quickly. The third is an obedience contest which is where your training comes in as your dogs obedience in regards to your commands will be tested. This one is frustrating more than anything as if your puppy is a bit thick you will end up getting very annoyed with it!

My biggest criticism of the contests is that you can only enter each of your puppies into three contests per day. This seems a little silly on the basis that you are playing the game because it is a GAME!! I suppose it is so that it makes it harder to earn money but it is very annoying that there is no way to get around this.

==Walkies==As with real dogs, your puppy needs walking. This part of the game allows you to choose the puppy you want to take for a walk and then select a route. You can pass your route through question marks shown on the map which means that something will happen at that spot (either you find an item or meet another dog). Going for a walk also enables you to visit the park to play fetch or the gymnasium to do some agility training. You could also visit the discount shop and buy your supplies at bargain prices! You dog has a stamina level and this limits the distance you are able to walk - although this does increase the longer you have the puppy.

When walking your puppy is on a lead which you hold using the stylus. Walking is a good way to find items that you can sell in the second hand shop for a bit of cash! After you have taken your dog for a walk it makes you wait 30 minutes before you can take it again - I guess this is fair enough although it can be a little annoying.

==Supplies & Shopping==As you buy and find items you build up an array of supplies, there are a wide variety of these ranging from toys, food, water, collars, hats etc. The more you play the games the wider the range of items that is available in the shop. These are quite fun to buy and it gives more of an incentive for earning a lot of money in the contests. Some supplies are essential whereas other are just for enjoyment. You can access your supplies in your house or whilst at the park. Your supplies also contain a range of books which help you learn how to care for and train your puppy for various aspects in the game.You can go shopping and buy supplies at the main shop, or you can visit the discount shop on one of your walks. You can also sell items that you own but do not want at the second hand shop to get some extra cash although you don't get as much as you brought them for! I like the range of items available for purchase and the fact that you gradually unlock more items adds more excitement to the game.

==Dog Hotel==You can only keep up to three dogs in your house so if you wish to buy additional dogs you will need to put them in the dog hotel. This is a nice idea as it means you can buy plenty of puppies if you want. You can swap the dogs over at any time meaning that you are still able to spend time with all of your puppies.

==Bark Mode==This feature enables you to interact with your friends puppies. You can link up to their Nintendo DS (as long as they have the Nintendogs game). This enables your puppies to play together and you can exchange and share supplies. I do feel that it is fairly limited in its appeal but I have seen children absolutely loving it!

==Fun & Enjoyment==

The idea behind the game is a simple one yet the variety of features make it fun. I enjoy it as an adult and the other adults that I have seen play it have also enjoyed it. I think that children will get the most enjoyment out of it and after all, the game is aimed at them! The game is surprisingly addictive - I sat at the kitchen table earlier with the intention of simply entering my puppy in a contest - an hour later I suddenly looked up to realise that I was sitting there all alone in the dark and had wasted an hour of my life!! But in my opinion a good game is one that I can absorb myself in and not have to think about the real world for a while!

==Graphics==The graphics in this game are surprisingly good. Nintendo tend to focus more on interactivity than graphics yet here they have made a real effort. The puppies look very cute and their movements are incredibly realistic. The scenery and background are fairly limited but the main feature is the puppy and the supplies which are both very well done. For example when you put a water bowl down and the puppies go to drink from it - it looks just like my real dog drinking and moving.

==Sound==The sound is also quite good with this game, the puppies make an wide range of barking, growling and yelping noises which are very realistic and quite adorable!! The background music is quite limited and I do find that the music during the contests is quite annoying so I tend to turn it down. When you speak commands, they get played back so that you can hear them. The other sounds such as when the puppies eat and drink are also impressive and a lot of effort has been put into getting these just right.

==Interactivity==The game is predominantly played using the stylus with very occasional use of the buttons. The stylus is used to interact with your puppy - to touch it, stroke it, move it, encourage it and train it. It is also used to navigate through the menus in the game. The other key method of interaction is through voice commands. As mentioned above, this does limit the places that you can play the game as I don't think there are many people brave enough to sit at the bus stop or on the train talking to a virtual puppy!!

==The Good Points==*Fun and addictive*Enjoyable for all ages*Good graphics*Good sound quality*High level of interactivity*Good range of features*Range of dog breeds to choose from*Dog hotel enables you to buy lots of puppies!*You can interact with your friends puppies.*Puppies require a realistic level of care*Menus easy to navigate

==The Bad Points==*You can only enter 3 contests a day per puppy*The game is only set for one player per Nintendo DS so if you have your own puppy, you will be spending the other persons money.*Voice commands are required to train the puppy limiting where you can play it*limited options for houses

==Overall==I do quite like this game but I think it has limited appeal, after the novelty has worn off I doubt I will be quite so addicted to it. My 9 year old brother loves it and it is definitely a great one for children as it will appeal to both boys and girls. I enjoy playing it on my brothers DS but wouldn't bother buying one myself. Although saying that, I would definitely recommend this game for children as they will love it and it is fun to play as an adult too if you can nick it off a child!! So 4 out of 5 stars from me as there are some areas that could be improved but generally it is pretty good.

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Fantastic

Really enjoy this, the game is a must for anyone who owns a DS! The game is hours of fun & is a game with out age restrictions! Kept me quiet for hours & endless possibilities of things to do, from competitions or just going for a walk, or ofcourse some hardcore training! The console on its own was a breakthrough, but with your own pets recognising your own voice makes the whole experience more personal. With a wide range of breeds top choose from you will never get bored of this game, a must for anyone planning a long journey in the car (not if you are driving obviously!) The ability to play with people around you also is a fun way to interact with your friends. This game is definetly a welcome game to my collection, can't put the game down, even if it is because I'm scared my dog will run away!

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A good game for all those who are unable to have a real puppy

This is such an adorable game - and it has no limits! Living in an apartment unfortunately I am not able to have any pets and though this might be a 'quick fix' solution, and I'm seriously addicted.

There are initially six puppies available for you to 'buy' in the pet store and you can have up to three puppies at any one time. I currently have one German Shepherd and two Yorkshire Terriers. At first you need to train the puppies to recognise your voice and their names, then you can teach them all sorts of tricks like 'sit' or 'lie down' or 'rollover' and after repeating each trick a number of times the dog remembers them.

You can also train your dogs to enter discus competitions and obedience classes and also agility competitions. If you train the dogs for long enough you usually get told that you are a good trainer and an extra puppy gets delivered to the store for you to buy. The competitions you enter are good and not as easy as you may think they will be, but it is here that you earn the money to buy your puppies their food and water etc.

When you take puppies on their walks you have to make sure they don't eat any of the rubbish along the way. Also you meet other puppies along the way and stop for a 'chat' with their owners. Sometimes the puppies will find you presents which you can either keep or exchange at the shop for money.

Watch out that you keep your puppy clean though otherwise they'll get fleas!!

The graphics of this game are really good too and it's amazing how each puppy has a different personality. The game can get a little repetitive however you can save it wherever you like.

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over all a very good game.

Aww what a cute game.

I think that every child at some point in there lives wanted a dog, and I was no exception. The only problem was that my family owns there own business so we didn't have the time to take care and love the puppy as it deserved to be.So when this game came out I was chomping at the bit to get it.

This game is really good for kids of all ages, and the young at heart, like my self as it teaches you how much fun and hard work a dog can be. You have to do all the usual chores that a real dog owner has to do, like feeding, bathing, walking, cleaning, playing and caring for your puppy. You can also do cool stuff like, teach your dog tricks, or enter him/her into a contest. You can also choose which breed of dog you wish to own, and you can have more than one.

At the moment I currently have two dogs, one is called Daisy and the other is Lotus (after the, car not the flower!). When you first start the game you are taken to the paddock where the dogs are kept, to select the puppy you want, and you can choose a male or a female dog. If like me, you can't decide between all the gorgeous dogs you get to interact with them, until you decide who, is the best dog to suit you.

When you choose your perfect dog, you then get to take him/her home, where you can choose their name, my dog daisy is actually a boy but it was the only name that he would answer to! You have to speak the chosen name exactly the same a few times before they will associate with it. I think it took me about 15 minutes before Daisy would actually answer me. You are also given a sum of money and some small essentials that the dog requires. But you can make more money through various tasks in the game.

There are a few tricks that you can also teach your new special friend, sit, jump, rollover, lie down, spin, and beg. Beg is the hardest one to teach, I think that it took me about an hour.

You also have to take your do out for a walk so that he gets exercise, along the way your dog will need the toilet, which I might add you have to clean up. You will also have the opportunity to meet other dog owners and for your puppy to play with theirs. When you are out walking you will notice two parks, you can play in these with other dogs, and you can also train in these for the disc competitions, which I will tell you about later. There is also two shops that you can buy additional things for your pup, such as toys and more essentials like food and shampoo. But be careful as one of the shops is dearer that the other. There is also a training ground for the agility trial, which is kind of like show jumping, its great fun. Along the way your dog will find presents that you and him/her can play with together, if you don't like them or don't use them, you can sell them in the shop for extra money to help feed your dog etc.

There are 3 competitions that you can enter your dog into:

The agility trial - this is the one that is like show jumping, there is penalties in this if you do not complete a move correctly, at the ends of the trial you will be put into your rank and given a place. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, all get a trophy and some prize money, you are then moved up to the next level.

The disc competition - This is where you have to throw a Frisbee and your dog has to catch it. The further away the Frisbee travels the more points that you will get, but only if the dog catches it. Your dog will also earn more points if they manage to jump up to catch the Frisbee. Again the better you do the higher the rank that you will receive.

The obedience trial - This is where all your training will come in handy, you give your dog a voice command that is specified and he/ she is marked on how well they respond to the command. There is also a free style option that you can tell your dog to do what ever you want to earn more points.

If you do have more than one dog and want to concentrate on training it with out its friend, then there is a doggy hotel that takes your dogs and looks after them until you want them back. This is free of charge but the dogs food and water etc comes off the amount that you have already bought.

Overall this is a really good game for anyone who is a dog lover, I would definitely recommend it.

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Not a tamagotchi lover or a dog lover? Don't buy it

I've already reviewed the Labrador version of this game and as I've played all of them the reviews are going to be almost identical. The only difference between the different versions are the type of dogs available for you to select from.

In this review I'll just do a short summary of the problems I explained in the Labrador review. If you're looking for something more than a high tech tamagotchi you will not find it here. In this game you do the usual, feed the dog, bath it, take it for walks etc. You can also enter competitions for which you will have to train your dog quite a bit which is rather tedious otherwise you have no chance of winning. If you win you can then use this money to buy the dog treats, toys etc.

Voice recognition is a problem, you may find that having selected a name for your dog and had your pronunciation of it saved to the DS, that the DS will not pick it up when you say it meaning you can go no further as the dog doesn't respond to its name so attempting to continue and win shows is pointless.

If you're satisfied with a high tech tamagotchi then buy it, otherwise don't bother, there's no particularly new element to it. 6/10 purely because it does what it says on the tin and it does it with decent graphics.

I am also a member of Ciao and so I have posted this review there.

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A great game for all ages

==Give a dog a home...==Ok, not a really one but a virtual one..Nintendogs has been around since 2005, but remains one of the most popular games for the DS. Not only is it popular but it is extremely addictive! I recently purchased a DS along with this game after having a go on my nieces' game!The game is available in 4 different breed versions, the version I am reviewing is the Dalmation and friends, also available is Dachshund, Chihuahua and Labrador. Each version has various dogs available to start with, however this can be extended once trainer points increase or you interact with your friends via bark mode.

Choosing Your Puppy

Initially when you insert the game you are given some money and the first stop is at the kennels where you can choose from some of the breeds available to you. For each breed there are three different dogs, some male some female, each have their own personalities so it is worthwhile looking at all the dogs before committing to buy one.

Taking your puppy home

Once you have chosen your new puppy, you arrive home for the first time, you are given some time to interact with the new arrival while doing this you must think of a name for your puppy. It is worthwhile noting that the name should be quite straight forward to say as you will need to repeat it over and over to train your dog to come to you, the intonation you use must be the same each time - I had a little trouble with this to start with as I had a bad cold! Once your puppy has settled in a little it's time to give it a name - the instructions appear on screen and give you helpful pointers as to how to do this, like I said earlier I had some trouble with this and took a long time to perfect it due to my cold. Once the dog recognises the name a keyboard will appear on screen where you must type the name - this is important later on when doing competitions etc.

Now the fun begins...

Once you have taught your puppy its name you can really get into playing the game. First of all you can stroke and play with your dog, teaching him/her new tricks along the way. The controls are quite straight forward, using the stylus to play with your dog, holding the lead, throwing toys and guiding the pup over the obstacles on the agility trial. There are two small icons on the top left corner of the screen, 'Go Out' and 'Supplies', as you might imagine touching the go out icon allows you to go for a walk, take part in a trial - Agility, Disc Competition or Obedience trial, you can also visit the pet store (though it's cheaper to buy your supplies from the discount shops while out on your walk), you can go to the kennel to buy another dog (you can keep up to 3 at a time in you house) and the dog hotel, where you can leave your dogs for a while - allowing you to buy more dogs. And there is also a second hand store.

Walkies

A map appears on screen, and you can decide the route you want to take - the puppy's stamina will grow the longer you have him. There are also little boxes with question marks on them, these can either be a gift (sometimes useful, sometimes not - these can be exchanged for money at the second hand shop), or you may meet other dog owners. There are parks to visit and the gym where you can practice your agility. Be sure to pick up any mess otherwise you will be given a stern talking to by other dog walkers.

Trials

There are three types of trials and where you enter these competitions there are several levels to compete at, the more you win the higher up the ladder you go, you also get prize money everytime you win, you money soon builds up allowing you to purchase more dogs, toys, food, and new décor for your house.

Supplies

Within the supplies you will find toys, food, water, shampoo, music, and accessories for your puppy. You can add to your supplies at the shop or by picking items up during your walks.

Bark Mode

In bark mode you can meet your friends puppies, taking them a gift from your supplies, this also can unlock other dogs at the kennels.

Other Info

You can visit the interior decorator to change your home decor which can be fun and expensive, again as your trainer points increase there is a greater selection to choose from. The game costs around £25-30, and can often be bought as a package with the console.

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Product Details

With an initial choice of six breeds to own and a further 14 to be unlocked, Nintendogs Dalmatian & Friends Edition sees the previously hard-to-unlock Dalmatian amongst the initial choices, along with the most popular dogs from the previous versions - Dachshund & Friends, Labrador & Friends and Chihuahua & Friends. If you've missed out on the handheld phenomenon of the year so far or have just been as yet unable to unlock your very own spotted puppy, Nintendogs Dalmatian & Friends is the companion for you.